THE RED BULL star finished sixth in the race won by Jenson Button in what was one of the most dramatic endings to a championship in the sport's history.

SEBASTIAN VETTEL became the youngest three-time Formula One World Champion after an incident-packed afternoon of drama at Interlagos today.

The Red Bull ace rode a heartstopping rollercoaster of a Brazilian Grand Prix before finishing sixth - enough to see off the challenge of Ferrari's Fernando Alonso who finished the race in second place.

The race at Interlagos, which was won by McLaren's Jenson Button, proved to be one of the most dramatic in the sport's history as the destiny of the title swung one way and then the other between Vettel and Alonso.

The conditions over Sao Paulo played havoc, resulting in a catalogue of incidents, not least Vettel dropping to last place after the first few corners following a collision with Williams' Bruno Senna.

But through drizzle, light rain, then heavy rain, multiple pit stops, it was Vettel who emerged the man, coming home sixth to finish three points ahead of the Spaniard.

Alonso could do no better than second behind race winner Button, his third victory of the season as McLaren team-mate Lewis Hamilton crashed out in his final race for the marque.

An understandably emotional Vettel said afterwards: "It's difficult to find the right words.

"It's unbelievable, I'm still full of adrenaline, it was an incredible race today."

Sebastian Vettel celebrates after winning the F1 world championship.

The race was utterly compelling and totally chaotic, in particular the start of the 71 laps which proved to be a disaster for Vettel, who has eclipsed the legendary Ayrton Senna's record.

From fourth on the grid, Vettel was relatively slow away and through the Senna curves the German had dropped to ninth.

The danger was obvious and it soon materialised as he was tagged by Senna, sending him into a spin and facing the wrong way.

Vettel was fortunate none of those he could see approaching him ran into his car, allowing him to spin his way back on to the track, but running at the back of the pack.

Vettel believed at the time he would have to return to the pits, his voice seemingly cracking with emotion, perhaps fearing his hopes of history were disappearing.

Sebastian Vettel in action during the Brazilian Formula One Grand Prix

The information, however, from Red Bull was that the damage to the floor on the left-rear of his car was not reparable, but he could carry on.

Sensationally, after six laps as pandemonium exploded all over the track given the greasy conditions with light rain falling, Vettel was back up to eighth.

Ahead of him, following a stunning move into turn one at the start of lap two on Red Bull's Mark Webber and Ferrari team-mate Felipe Massa, Alonso was third, the minimum required for him to take the title.

Those first few laps were almost impossible to call such was the amount of action that unfolded as positions and the championship chase swung like a pendulum.

The second Williams of Pastor Maldonado and Lotus' Romain Grosjean also departed as the rain grew in intensity, sparking a flurry of pit stops to take on the intermediate Pirelli tyres to aid grip, notably Hamilton, Alonso and Vettel.

However, Button and Force India's Nico Hulkenberg stayed out on their dry rubber, the latter eventually leading a race for the first time in his career at the start of lap 19 when he passed the Briton into turn one.

When those behind were forced to switch back to dry tyres given the intermediates began to wear, Hulkenberg and Button found themselves 45 seconds clear of a group led by Hamilton who had stopped twice.

But when Alonso complained over the radio of the debris on track from a number of incidents, within a couple of minutes the safety car was deployed to assist the marshals to clear the circuit.

In one fell swoop, Hulkenberg and Button's clear advantage was wiped out as the safety car stayed out for seven laps, returning after lap 29.

For a while a relatively straightforward race unfolded, with the odd incident spicing up proceedings, before the drizzle became heavier.

That was just before Vettel pitted for a third time, but in taking on another set of dry tyres, it soon proved a bad move.

At the same time Hamilton's McLaren career came to a sad end as he suffered a broken front-left suspension as Hulkenberg slid into him into turn one as they came up behind backmarkers.

As he walked back into the garage, Hamilton was given a standing ovation by the entire team given he joins Mercedes next season.

That allowed Button to take a lead he held on to through to the end, and whilst Alonso passed Massa for second, it was not enough given Vettel was seventh at the time, which soon became sixth when the retiring for a second time Michael Schumacher allowed him by with a few laps remaining.

At the end of lap 70 Force India's Paul di Resta spun in the heavy rain, crashing into a wall on the final turn, so bringing out the safety car for a second time and effectively ending the race.

It allowed Button the victory, and more crucially, Vettel his third world title.